Nearly 450 Penn Staters attended the 28th Annual Penn State Night on Tuesday, June 27th at Genetti's, Dickson City. Featured speaker Tom Bradley, defensive coordinator for Nittany Lions Football. Penn State Night did not disapoint. The event was sponsored by the Greater Scranton Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Society.
Tom Bradley, in his 26th season with the Nittany Lions and his fifth supervising defense, works with the cornerbacks, and is entering his ninth year after coaching the outside linebackers and defensive ends (1988-95). The Nittany Lion defense allowed 21 points or less seven times in 2003 and in 2002 forced 31 turnovers, including 20 interceptions. They ranked 11th nationally in scoring defense.
Bradley, who has played a large role in the success of the defense and recruiting efforts during his tenure, helped develop three All-Americans in the secondary - James Boyd, David Macklin and Kim Herring - the past eight years.
Bradley graduated from Penn State in 1979, after winning football letters in 1977-78, and served as a graduate assistant that fall. He became a full-time staff member in 1980.
In addition to the defensive backs, Bradley also has coached five other positions, coordinated the special teams and served as recruiting coordinator, bringing numerous prep standouts to Penn Staters throughout his tenure. Shane Conlan, O.J. McDuffie, Bryan Scott and Michael Timpson are among the PSU standouts he has coached. Bradley was football and basketball captain at Bishop McCort High School in Johnstown, Pa.
Bradley was joined by Roger Williams, executive director of the Alumni Association, and Joe Battista (JoeBa), the new executive director of the Nittany Lion Club.
A special highlight of Penn State Night was the naming of Mr. Al Magnotta as 2006 Alunus of the Year. Albert J. Magnotta, P.E., P.L.S., serves as President and Principal Professional of CECO Associates, Inc. Mr. Magnotta is a 1964 graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sanitary Engineering.
His professional career began with Bellante, Clauss, Miller, and Nolan where he served as a Project Manager on the Clarks Summit-South Abington Joint Sewer Authority Treatment Plan and Interceptor Project and the Lackawanna River Basin Sewer Authority Treatment Plants and Interceptor Sewer Project. In 1970, Mr. Magnotta was appointed as the Engineer for the City of Scranton, in 1971 was appointed General Manager of the Sewer Authority of the City of Scranton, and in 1974 joined the Mele Construction Company, a highway, site and utility contractor as Construction Manager.
In 1978, Mr. Magnotta assumed the responsibility as Vice President of CECO Associates, Inc., the firm he co-founded in 1973. As Principal Professional for technical services, Mr. Magnotta was responsible for management, design, and construction observation on a multitude of major civil works projects including Keystone Sanitary Landfill, Wildcat Creek Flood Control Project, PG Energy Land Use Analysis, PEI Power Park, and the modernization of the Sewer Authority of the City of Scranton's Wastewater Treatment, Conveyance, and Collection Facilities.
Mr. Magnotta is a member of numerous professional associations including the Northeast Chapter of the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Highway Engineers, and the Water Environment Federation. He is a Registered Professional Engineer, a Registered Land Surveyor, and a Certified Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Magnotta is a member of the Worthington Scranton Advisory Board and serves on the boards of Lackawanna College, St. Joseph's Home; The Elmhurst Country Club and UNICO national Society.
During the night several items were auctioned including six tickets to the September 9th Penn State Notre Dame game at South Bend.
For more information about the Greater Scranton Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association visit their website at www.psualum.com/chapter/scranton.